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| The lightest green area shown here is the heart of the Blue Grass Region of Kentucky. This is where the Fletcher family lived. |
The quest to find Fielding Fletcher’s parents has been a long and difficult process. Fletcher is an extremely common name, for which it is never safe to draw early conclusions. One cannot assume that several individuals with the same surname who reside within the same county are related, as you can with uncommon surnames. I have had to learn a lot about genealogy along the way, as well as collect a lot of data about all of the Fletchers in several counties of Kentucky, before I could come to any conclusions. At this point, I feel fairly comfortable in the conclusion that Fielding’s parents were Gilson and Rhoda (Heflin) Fletcher (see notes below for details).
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| Fielding Fletcher was probably born in Fleming County, Kentucky. |
Census Records and his death record gives Fielding’s age, from which we can estimate his birth year of about 1805, they also confirm that he was born in Kentucky. I have listed his birth as Fleming County Kentucky, because the tax records show Gilson Fletcher was living there at the time of Fielding's birth—from 1799 until about 1809.
Fielding was born just thirteen years after Kentucky had become a state. Kentucky was, at the time, one of the westernmost reaches of the United States. It was as untamed and dangerous as any place on earth. It was also a land of unlimited opportunity. His family helped pioneer the beautiful bluegrass region of Kentucky, which was famous for its bourbon and racehorses, but also as a center of the profound Restoration Movement in the Christian religion.
The Restoration Movement occurred from roughly 1795 through 1870. During this time, christians throughout America were debating important issues like the centrality of faith in Christ, the effectiveness of infant baptism and the essentials of discipleship as contained in the scriptures. It was arguably as important in shaping the Christian faith in America as the Protestant Reformation had been in Europe.
The leaders of this movement wanted to do away with the creeds and rituals that separated the churches, to get back to the origins of the church as it occurred in New Testament times. In order to achieve this, they relied heavily on the stories and admonitions of the early disciples as contained in the scriptures. They attempted to hasten the coming millennium of peace by a unification of the faith after the manner of the church during Christ’s earthly life.
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| Mt. Sterling, in Montgomery County, Kentucky is in the vicinity of the small red star on the above map. |
Fielding Fletcher’s family were among the first to join the new ecumenical church. The church at Mt. Sterling was originally a baptist church, but converted when the preacher John “Raccoon” Smith (a key figure in the Restorationist movement) convinced the congregation to abandon their sectarian ways. Fielding Fletcher attended Mt. Sterling church throughout his years growing up, and it was where he eventually married. The family remained true to this faith throughout his lifetime, and even through his grandchildren’s lives. One of his granddaughters husbands became a minister in the restored Church of Christ in Owingsville, Bath County, Kentucky.
So, like many young men of his time, Fielding was a devout Christian willing to think hard about the foundations of his faith. And, like so many men of his time, Fielding was also a hard working farmer trying to make the land fruitful. A young man who was willing to work hard could etch a good living out of the rich soil of Kentucky’s bluegrass region, and the earlier in his life that he could accomplish that, the sooner he could establish a family of his own. Fielding did well for himself. He was able to marry in his twentieth year. He married Elizabeth Sharp on 15 March 1825 in the Mt. Sterling Church. The marriage was officiated by the famous John “Raccoon” Smith.
Fielding married in Montgomery County as well:
Marriage Record Fielding Fletcher and Elizabeth Sharp, nr Mt. Sterling, Montgomery, KY by Elder John "Racoon" Smith
Marriage Records Montgomery County, Kentucky 1817-1850
Name: Fielding Fletcher
Spouse: Elizabeth Sharp
Marriage Date: 15 Mar 1825
In 1830, he is in Montgomery County KY for the Census. He has one male 20-30 (Fielding), 2 females under 5 (Rhoda & Elizabeth, the daughter) and one female 20-30 (Elizabeth, the wife) in his household.
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| Fielding Fletchr in the 1830 Census in Montgomery County, Kentucky. |
By 1840, they had moved to Bath County Kentucky.
1 Jun 1840 Census West of Slate Creek, Bath, KY Fielden Fletcher 2 m under 5 (David and John) 2 m 5-10 (Richard and William) 1 m 30-40 Fielding (36) 1 f 10-15 (Rhoda) 1 f 15-20 (Elizabeth the daughter) 1 f 20-30 Elizabeth (wife, 34)
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| Fielding Fletcher in the 1840 Census in Bath County, Kentucky. |
In 1850, he was in Nicholas County Kentucky for the census.
1850 District 1, Nicholas, KY
Fielding Fletcher 45 Farmer KY no acres
Elizabeth 44 KY
Elizabeth 25 KY
Rhoda 22 KY
William 20 Laborer KY
Richard 18 Laborer KY
John 15 Laborer KY
David 14 KY
James 7 KY
Ann E. 5 KY
Sarah E. 2 KY
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| Feilding Fletcher with his family in the 1850 Census in Bath County, Kentucky. |
In 1860 he has returned to Bath County and continues there until his death.
1860 Bath, Kentucky
Fielding Fletcher 56 Farmer b. KY 960 acres
Elizabeth 54 b. KY
Elizabeth 19 b. KY
James 17 Field Hand b. KY
Ann 14 b. KY
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| Feilding Fletcher with his family in the 1860 Census in Bath County, Kentucky. |
1870 Bethel, Bath, KY
Fletcher, Fielding 65 Farm Laborer b. KY no acres
Elizabeth 65 b. KY
Ann E. 20 b. KY
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| Fielding Fletcher with family in the 1870 Census in Bath County, Kentucky. |
Fielding died 20 Dec 1878. His death record reports that he died of neuralgia:
Kentucky Death Records, 1852-1953
Fielding Fletcher, Age:73, Sex: M, Date of Death: Dec 20, 1878, Cause of death: Neuralgia, Place of death: Bath County, Names of Parents: James & Maggie Cole [See notes below]
He is buried in Gilead Cemetery. One transcript of the cemetery gives the following:
Bath County KY Cemetery Records, Stephen Cirgoleen
p. 105 Gilead Cemetery
Fletcher, Elizabeth, wife/ F. (age @71)-12 Dec 1877
Fletcher, Fielden (age @73)-20 Nov 1878
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Determining Fielding’s Parents:
Fielding's death record lists his parents as “James & Maggie Cole.” The first possibility is that Fielding had changed his name by the time of his marriage, or that he was adopted by a Fletcher family and took the family name after his parents died. There are a David and Robert Cole living in Montgomery County KY for the 1810 Census. They are both in the 26-44 age group, so this is a distant possibility. However, it seems unlikely.
Secondly, it was worth considering whether this reference might mean James Fletcher and Maggie Cole (as a maiden name), but careful study showed that this is not likely. There was a James Fletcher living in Montgomery County at the time, and had a son the right age to be Fielding in the 1810 Census. However, James’ son was still at home in the 1830 Census when Fielding was enumerated in his own separate household. That means that James’ son could not be Fielding.
After this, the only logical conclusion is that there was some error made in the death record. Perhaps the clerk who copied the reports into the book accidentally skipped over an entry and wrote the next person’s parents in the line. Another possibility is that the informant, in their distressed state after having lost a loved one, named their own parents instead of Fielding’s.
Besides James Fletcher, there are four other Fletchers in Montgomery County who were old enough to have been Fielding’s father—Gilson, Thomas, William and John. William Fletcher shows up in 1820 with a male 10-15 in his household, but he does not remain in the vicinity long enough to be a likely candidate. It seems likely that if Fielding’s family had moved out of the county or state, he would have moved with them rather than stay behind with no means of support.
Thomas seemed promising, since he lived on Flat Creek (where Hansford Hawkins, who married a daughter of Fielding Fletcher, lived). Thomas left a will at his death, in which he names only two daughters, and no sons. This eliminates Thomas as a possible father.
John lived in Montgomery County, on Lulbagrud Creek which empties into Hinkston Creek just south of Mt. Sterling. John is also listed on the 1802 tax list as having acreage on Somerset Creek. This would put him near Gilson Fletcher. However, that is a brief anomaly, in subsequent tax lists he is only listed as living on Lulbagrud Creek. John had one male the correct age to be Fielding (who would have been 15) for the 1820 Census. However, by the 1830 Census, when Fielding was enumerated in his own household, John has two males 20-30 in his household. It seems likely that the son in the 1820 Census was still living at home, and could not be Fielding.
The bulk of evidence points to Gilson Fletcher as the father. Fielding was married in 1825 in a church near the city of Mt. Sterling. Gilson lived on Somerset Creek which flowed through Mt. Sterling. Gilson lived very close the the church where Fielding was married. Fielding and Gilson both moved to Nicholas County KY by the 1850 Census. It is difficult to tell if they lived near one another (Fielding is household number 141, and Gilson is household number 224), they are the only Fletchers in the county.
The tax records of Montgomery County KY point rather strongly to Gilson Fletcher as the most likely father. In 1825, Fielding Fletcher married and set up his household. This is the first year he appears in the tax list. He is not listed near any other Fletcher. In 1826, he doesn't appear at all. In 1827, there are two clusters of Fletchers. There are a William, John and James who cluster together. The second cluster includes Joston (Johnson), Gilson and Fielding. The fact that Fielding is found among Gilson and his sons suggests that he is a probable son of Gilson Fletcher.
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